ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 29 – AAHOA Interim President and CEO Rachel Humphrey issued the following statement in response to federal sex trafficking lawsuits brought against four Atlanta-area hotels:
“The alleged actions of the hoteliers and employees at the four hotels named in the federal lawsuits are a disgrace to the hospitality industry. These hotels are not AAHOA members, and the trafficking that took place tarnishes the great work that thousands of hoteliers are doing to stop human trafficking across the country. AAHOA has trained thousands of hoteliers and their employees in human trafficking awareness and prevention, and we provide our members and their employees with free, on-demand training. AAHOA’s Human Trafficking Awareness Training, developed with anti-trafficking and victim advocacy organizations Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking and Polaris, as well our partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security, the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council’s Human Trafficking Task Force, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association are helping our industry to fight this problem. When it comes to combating trafficking, America’s hoteliers are part of the solution.”
